remembers the invention of the wheel

Is Santa a World Fusion Eater?

In Carleton Place he loves pancakes–Come see him at the CPHS’s Annual Breakfast with Santa: Sat., Nov 26, 8-11amBreakfast with Santa will run this Saturday. Live music from the CPHS band, a pancake breakfast, crafts and, of course, Mr and Mrs Claus will be available— $5 for children and $8 for adults. All community members are welcome to join in and get Saturday the day of the Santa Claus parade off to a rocking start!

So what does Santa eat?

In the United States and Canada, Santa is known for his penchant for cookies, so children across the country leave him cookies by the baker’s dozen along with a nice glass of milk to wash it down. This ritual of leaving out cookies and milk for Santa (and sometimes carrots for his reindeer,) has become a tradition in the U.S., but it’s not the standard worldwide. Here’s a guide to Santa’s buffet as he travels across the globe.

Australia

Santa starts his Christmas Eve journey with a nice cold beer, courtesy of little kids in Australia. They may also leave some cookies and milk and even a few carrots for the reindeer. But the beer comes first — maybe it’s to keep Santa warm on the long night ahead.

Sweden

After that beer and his long flight, Santa — or Tomte, a mythological creature from Scandinavian folklore traditionally associated with the winter season — might be feeling a little tired. Fortunately, the good children of Sweden leave out a cup of coffee to keep him awake for the rest of his journey.

Denmark

The next stop on Santa’s buffet is Denmark, where he can find a bowl of risengrod, or rice pudding, waiting for him on Christmas Eve. According to Denmark lore, the magical elves, Nisser and Tomte, will cause mischief if the bowl of risengrod is missing.

The Netherlands

The children in the Netherlands leave gifts for Sinterklaas’ — that’s the horse — instead of the big man himself. Kids leave carrots, hay, and water and in exchange are given marzipan, chocolate coins, hot cocoa and mandarin oranges.

Germany

By now, Santa and his steed have had enough to eat and drink, but he does take time to read the personalized letters that children leave out for Christkind, the German’s nickname for him. In the morning, German children wake up to find that their letters are gone and presents have been left in their place.

France

In France, children leave out carrots for the reindeer and biscuits for Santa or Père Noël as he is known here. Some children leave these treats in their shoes and in the morning the treats are gone and their shoes have been filled with small toys and trinkets.

United Kingdom

By the time Santa gets to the U.K., he’s ready for a proper meal. Fortunately, the kids here leave him mince pie — filled with dried fruit or the more ancient tradition of meat pies. The children also leave him a nip of sherry to chill his weary bones.

Ireland

This might be the stop that Santa Claus looks forward to most of all. In Ireland, the children treat him to a pint of Guinness and maybe another mince pie or two. Now Jolly Old St.Nick is ready for his leap over the Atlantic.

Argentina

Kids in Argentina spoil Santa’s reindeer after their long flight from Europe, leaving them hay and water to sustain them through the rest of the night.

Chile

In Chile, children leave pan de pascua for Viejo Pascuero, or Old Man Christmas. This special treat is a spongy, rich cake flavored with rum and filled with dried fruits and nuts.

United States

Kids in the U.S. treat Santa to a buffet of cookies and milk as he heads across the country delivering his goods. The traditional treat is gingerbread, but sugar cookies, chocolate chip, and macaroons work just as well. And many kids remember Santa’s reindeer, leaving carrots and oats for them too.

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About lindaseccaspina

Linda Knight Seccaspina was born in Cowansville, Quebec about the same time as the wheel was invented and the first time she realized she could tell a tale was when she got caught passing her smutty stories around in Grade 7 at CHS by Mrs. Blinn.
When Derek "Wheels" Wheeler from Degrassi Jr. High died in 2010, Linda wrote her own obituary. Some people said she should think about a career in writing obituaries.
Before she laid her fingers to a keyboard, Linda owned the eclectic store Flash Cadilac and Savannah Devilles in Ottawa from 1976-1996. After writing for years about things that she cared about or pissed her off she finally found her calling. Is it sex drugs and rock n' roll you might ask? No, it is history. Seeing that her very first boyfriend in Grade 5 (who she won a Twist contest with in the 60s) is the head of the Brome Misissiquoi Historical Society and also specializes in local history back in Quebec, she finds that quite funny.
She writes every single day and is also a columnist for Hometown News and Screamin's Mamas. She is a volunteer for the Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum, an admin for the Lanark County Genealogical Society Facebook page, and a local guest speaker.
She has been now labelled an historian by the locals which in her mind is wrong. You see she will never be like the iconic local Lanark County historian Howard Morton Brown, nor like famed local writer Mary Cook. She proudly calls herself The National Enquirer Historical writer of Lanark County, and that she can live with.
Linda has been called the most stubborn woman in Lanark County, and has requested her ashes to be distributed in any Casino parking lot as close to any Wheel of Fortune machine as you can get. But since she wrote her obituary, most people assume she's already dead.
Linda has published six books, "Menopausal Woman From the Corn," "Cowansville High Misremembered," "Naked Yoga, Twinkies and Celebrities," "Cancer Calls Collect," "The Tilted Kilt-Vintage Whispers of Carleton Place," and "Flashbacks of Little Miss Flash Cadilac." All are available at Amazon in paperback and Kindle.
Linda's books are for sale on Amazon or at Wisteria · 62 Bridge Street · Carleton Place, Ottawa, Canada, and at the Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum · 267 Edmund Street · Carleton Place, Ottawa, Canada--Appleton Museum-Mississippi Textile Mill and Mill Street Books and Heritage House Museum and The Artists Loft in Smith Falls.